


Meet-Cute in Aisle 12

by Maplesyrup



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Grocery Store, Meet-Cute, Rumbelle - Freeform, Something silly and fun that makes me smile
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-25
Updated: 2019-10-25
Packaged: 2021-01-03 08:13:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,297
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21176228
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Maplesyrup/pseuds/Maplesyrup
Summary: Storybrooke's new librarian and drama teacher meets the town's surliest denizen in the cereal aisle of of the grocery store.





	Meet-Cute in Aisle 12

**Author's Note:**

> A fluffity fluff piece of fluffy self-indulgent fic that no one should read because it's just silly fluff.
> 
> Thank you Mareyshelley for beta'ing this crap ilu<3

_ Storybrooke, present day _

Belle strolled down the cereal aisle of Storybrooke’s grocery store, passing the colorful selection of nutritionally-bankrupt boxes of sugary delight. Her eyes lit up as they landed on her favorite brand, the last one on the shelf, and she plucked it from its lonely spot.

“Hey!”

A little voice shouted from somewhere near her middle captured her attention, the box held aloft in her hand, stopped in its progress toward the basket held in the crook of her arm. She turned, spotting a boy of around nine or ten with tousled brown hair above large amber eyes. Eyes that were currently narrowed in a curious betrayal, his little arms crossed in anger.

“Hello.” Belle smiled down at him. “How can I help you?”

“That’s  _ my _ favorite cereal,” he huffed.

Belle’s smile grew.

“Mine, too. What’s your favorite part about it?”

The little boy rolled his eyes and Belle had to press her lips together to hold back the snort of laughter that wanted to erupt. It was a rude gesture to give a stranger, yes, but he was adorable and clearly very put out that she held what was likely the last box of his favorite cereal left in the whole  _ world _ . The boy took a deep breath for his stature and squared his little shoulders.

“The  _ whole box _ is my favorite part,” he said as if she should know this already, “and you took the  _ last one _ .”

Belle regarded the cereal in her hand thoughtfully before sticking her other hand out to him.

“I’m Belle French. I’m new to Storybrooke. What’s your name?”

The boy stared at her hand without taking it, clearly uncertain, and she imagined he’d received all sorts of lectures on the dangers of strangers from his parents.

“Why are you new here?” He frowned. “We never get new people here.”

Belle chuckled.

“Well, you have a new person now, I’m afraid.” She withdrew her hand. “I’m the new librarian and will also be the drama club teacher for Storybrooke high school.”

The boy's eyes lit up.

“You’re a librarian?” A surprised smile cracked his grumpy expression. “That’s neat! I really like reading, my Papa says I read almost as fast as I grow!”

He stuck out his hand.

“You must be ok since you’re a librarian and a teacher.”

Belle extended her own hand, leaning down a bit to reach him and clasping his smaller one gently.

“I’m Baelfire Gold but my friends call me Neal but my Papa calls me Baelfire.” He gave her hand a few enthusiastic pumps. Belle was charmed to her toes.

“Which shall I call you?” she asked, releasing his hand and standing upright. He screwed up his face in thought for a moment before nodding.

“You can call me Baelfire. Or Bae, my Papa calls me that a lot, too.” He shrugged.

“It’s lovely to meet you, Baelfire. That’s a really neat name.”

“Thanks. I like your name, too. Like the Disney princess, right?”

Belle grinned. “Kind of, yeah.”

“Cool. So, can I have that cereal box now?”

That shocked a surprised laugh out of her and she shook her head.

“Not to be a boring grownup or anything, but, shouldn’t you be with your parents right now?”

Baelfire shrugged again.

“It’s just my Papa and me,” he swung his arms, letting out some of the frenetic energy children had in spades, “and he said it was okay to get my cereal while he got the dairy stuff.”

“Baelfire!”

Belle turned at the shout to see a man bearing down on them, his eyes focused solely on Baelfire. She watched as he approached, his movements swift despite the cane he used. A long coat billowed around him, revealing a dark, three-piece suit underneath. A similar shopping basket to the one she carried was held by the handle in his free hand. He set it down once he reached the boy and Belle caught the color of his eyes, clearly marking him as the child’s father. Silvery-brown hair brushed the collar of his coat and the lines around his eyes crinkled from a combination of worry and irritation at his son.

“Oh, hey, Papa!” Baelfire smiled even as the man frowned.

“Don’t you ‘hey papa’ me, son,” he said. “I told you to get your cereal and come straight to the milk case.”

Baelfire sighed, the sound long-suffering and Belle nearly laughed again.

“Papa, Belle has the last box. I was this close,” he held up a finger and thumb the tiniest bit apart, “to talking her into giving me the box and now I bet you scared the heck out of her.”

The man finally took notice of Belle, who stood watching the exchange with no small amount of mirth.

His scowling eyes shot to her, prepared to dismiss but then lingered, his expression slowly blanking as he stared. Belle smiled back at him, and a corner of his mouth crooked upwards in response.

“Uh, Papa? You’re staring. You always say that’s rude.”

The man blinked, coming back to himself, and cleared his throat.

“That’s enough sass from you, young one.” He picked up the basket. “Time to go.”

“Wait!” Belle called as he turned. She stuck the box of cereal into the man’s basket before stepping back, his eyes widening at her. “Baelfire is great. I enjoyed meeting him.”

The man offered her a curt nod before turning away once more.

“Papa!”

He stopped and Belle sensed rather than heard his sigh of annoyance. He didn’t turn.

“For Pete's sake, Papa, say  _ thank you _ .”

A peal of laughter erupted from Belle and she clapped a hand over her mouth as the man turned and pinned her with a sardonic look.

“Sorry,” she said around another giggle, “he’s just too precious by half.”

Baelfire grinned and stole the basket from his father.

“His name is Coinneach,” he tossed over his shoulder, hurriedly walking towards the front of the aisle. “It means ‘handsome’!”

Baelfire darted around the corner and Coinneach ground his cane into the tiled floor with a sigh.

“If that boy makes it to eleven, it will be a miracle.”

Belle laughed again.

“It suits you,” she said, smiling when he lifted his head to shoot her a quizzical look. “Your name, I mean. It, uh, really suits you.”

It was her turn to duck her head, and she tucked a tendril of hair behind her ear, her cheeks heating. A gentle chuckle met her ears and she peeked up at him through her lashes. He blushed and gestured behind him with his cane.

“I…should probably get him,” he said, a touch of apology in his tone. “Thank you for the, uh, the cereal. I’m sure he’ll be quite happy.”

Belle waved him off.

“It’s no trouble. There’s plenty other stuff here to snack on.”

He sent her an odd look, his eyes flicking over her before darting away.

“Yes, well…” he trailed off, closing his eyes briefly with a small shake of his head, “I’m sure I’ll see you around.”

Belle nodded, giving a little wave as he turned and walked away, coat billowing behind him.

She slumped against the nearest shelf when he was out of sight, letting out a whoosh of breath as she gathered her wits from their far-flung corners. She shook herself after a moment and hefted her basket to a better position, moving towards the front of the store and the checkout lanes.

Her thoughts strayed to the enigmatic man as the cashier rang her up and she wondered if he’d ever accompany his son into the library. A flutter of hope tickled her ribs as she took her bags and headed back to her car.

She really hoped she’d see them both again soon.   
  


**Author's Note:**

> I TOLD YOU


End file.
